The human microbiome is proving to be a vital component in both human health and disease. This is particularly true of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which houses over one thousand distinct bacterial species and an estimated excess of 1×1014 microorganisms, and appears to be central in defining human host health status. For example, the microbiome of the GI tract underlies central processes of nutrient capture and metabolism; however, disruption of this microbiome is also believed to be causative of a number of disorders.
Indeed, antibiotics, often a frontline therapy to prevent deleterious effects of microbes on human health, can induce disruption in the microbiome, including in the GI tract, and lead to further disease. For instance, it is often necessary to administer oral antibiotics for the treatment of infections. However, residual oral antibiotics beyond what is needed for eradication of an infection can alter the ecological balance of normal intestinal microbiota in the gut and lead to further disease.
Therefore, there is a need for agents that prevent microbiome disruption by oral antibiotics while not reducing or eradicating the beneficial anti-infective effects of these antibiotics in a subject.